High School Musical 02: Missing Moment Montage
by Jade-Max
Summary: A Collection of previously posted movie missing moments, and their reviews, grouped together in one thread. Various Characters.
1. Ending of a Fairytale

This is a _collection_ of missing moment vignettes for the movie "High School Musical 2"

As such, please be aware that there _are_ spoilers for the movie if you have not seen it.

Each chapter in this series has previously been posted under its own title. As a way of condensing the number of stories I've written, and to tidy up my profile, they've now been grouped together in their own thread.

Each story will be listed under its name for title of the chapter and followed by another chapter with the previous reviews, out of respect for the people who left them, so they're not lost now that the individual stories are deleted.

The reviews have been left in their original state without editing on my part. All comments, spelling, grammar and what-not are the responsibility of the individual who had posted the review. My apologies to those of you who had marked any of these stories individually as "Favorites", but there was no other way to organize without deleting the original stories.

I appreciate you all taking the time to read my musings.

Thank you for reading!

* * *

**Disclaimer: **High School Musical 2 is property of Disney and I make no money off of this; I'm simply destroying the sandcastles - or adding to them.

**Title:** Ending of a Fairytale

**Author:** Jade_Max

**Summary:** Gabriella reflects on how Troy is slipping away from her.

----------

**Ending of a Fairytale**

As the vehicle carrying Troy pulled away, Gabriella looked back over her shoulder, silently wondering if that wasn't symbolic of everything that had been happening.

Just yesterday her sweet, adorable boyfriend had been coaxing her into the pool for an illicit swim, daring the wrath of the Country Club's manager to enjoy a private moment. He'd been late, sure, but she'd just been happy to have some time with him. Now she wasn't so certain she should have been so lenient - as Taylor said she had been - with Troy's tardiness.

Sliding her hands into the pockets of her shorts, she headed back inside, following the disillusioned Wildcats as they went looking for a fourth for their two on two game. Troy wouldn't be back that night; she didn't know how she knew it, but she was sure of it. Something would happen to keep him at the gym, and while she didn't begrudge him the opportunities which seemed to be falling into his lap, she did object to the sudden change.

Troy was no longer the same young man she'd met months earlier. He wasn't the same guy she'd sung with during the Winter Musical - the one who'd had to coax her to sing in the audition and helped her over her fear of singing in front of a crowd. The concern for others was still there, except he was suddenly starting to let his concern for his future - his _personal_ future - override everything he had been. The Troy she'd known was disappearing, sliding into obscurity without so much as a whisper of protest.

It wouldn't have hurt so much if it had been an unwilling change.

The worst part of it all, was that the Troy who was both her friend and boyfriend would have agreed with her opinion had he been able to step away from the situation. He'd have clearly been able to see that what he was going for and the path he was taking might have been lined with gold - but underneath the foundation was eroding with every step. His relationships were slowly deteriorating, fraying at the edges from his actions; actions she had yet to see him show any kind of remorse or acknowledgement of.

Heading back into the kitchen, she considered her options as Chad, Zeke and Jason continued to search for someone to join their two on two game and fill Troy's spot.

Taylor was supposed to give her a lift to the baseball diamond, but hadn't yet finished her duties. As the designated member activities organizer, her shift ended a little later than the others, giving Gabriella a chance to reflect on what had just happened and had been happening since Troy's promotion. No, that wasn't right. Since they'd gotten their jobs at Lava Springs.

Initially things had seemed to be business as normal - Troy had rallied the Wildcats behind him and convinced them that working for Fulton wouldn't be the nightmare they anticipated. It had been just like school, with Troy leading the way and the Wildcats following his natural charisma to pull together. And while they didn't have classes to attend, Troy had a way of making things seem like a fun challenge instead of work.

That fun was what had driven them in the beginning, bonding them together in a fashion she hadn't thought anything would be able to dissolve. A week and a half of harmony had resulted, with a pattern emerging for the team as they'd found their niches at the club and where they'd fit in. Troy had been the same attentive, caring and solicitous boyfriend she'd come to rely on through the school year.

And then Troy and Chad had been asked to caddy for Sharpay's family.

Whatever had happened on the course - and neither of them had said - had been the start of Troy's defection. It had started that night when he'd been late for their date by over an hour, and even thought he'd apologized profusely, it obviously hadn't stopped there.

Today it had been his promotion to assistant golf pro and the uncharacteristic discussion Taylor had overhead Troy having with Sharpay about his new shoes. In addition, Chad's observation about Troy being a stranger due to how he'd treated them while bringing lunch - and missing their lunch date he'd made just that morning to top it off. Those small changes had culminated into his appearance at the hoop and blowing off his friends for the chance to play with the Redhawks.

Over the course of two days, he'd gone from the Troy she could count on and trusted to a stranger she didn't recognize - and she missed him.

She missed his innocent smile tied with the boyish charm that had endeared her towards him in the beginning. He'd been a surprising mix of confidence and uncertainty and it had continued on through their relationship - until now.

Now... suddenly Troy was asserting himself in a way none of them had seen before. He was selfishly accepting the perks that were falling into his lap without a second thought as to what they could eventually cost him.

The way things were going, she was worried.

Worried about the direction Troy was going, taking a path none of them could follow - or wanted to. He was unintentionally moving away from them and didn't seem to see it. The circle that had embraced him at the club was one of high society and privilege, a group of people who judged someone based on money instead of merit. And while Troy was a novelty, a momentary distraction, he didn't seem to understand that there was no way it could last.

Not that there was anything wrong with him accepting the attention - except that he wasn't acting like Troy anymore. At least, not the Troy that had led the Wildcats to victory in the Championship game, or the Troy who'd schemed and plotted to ensure they had a fair chance at the Winter Musicale's lead roles. No, this Troy didn't seem to believe in "all for one" anymore - it was every man for himself.

And she didn't know where she fit in anymore. Technically she and Troy were still together, but they hadn't done anything, even remotely, as a couple since they'd been caught in the pool the other night. She wasn't a clingy girlfriend, nor was she a jealous one - but she wasn't just Troy's girlfriend either; she was his friend first.

It was only one of the reasons why she'd felt obligated to point out how she was seeing him change and the way everyone would see it. It was a lightning quick transformation that was impossible to miss.

Pushing aside her feelings, Gabriella headed for the staff locker room to change. This was her summer and she wasn't going to let Troy's sudden personality shift destroy her enjoyment of the rest of it. As a part of that silent vow, she deliberately turned her attention to the staff ballgame that afternoon and pushed Troy from her thoughts.

----------

Enlisting Ryan Evans as the director for the Staff Talent Show piece had been pure genius.

Kelsi had risen to the challenge, providing them with a piece of music they could all sing, and while Gabriella was thoroughly enjoying the rehearsals and the duet supplied, it felt strange. Not because they had a new leader, or because everyone had warmed to Ryan in a way none of them had ever dreamed was possible, but because - for the first time since New Year's - she was singing opposite someone other than Troy.

Sure, she had practiced with Kelsi, but always with the intention of singing the pieces with Troy. Singing with him had always felt so natural, so easy - he had a way of putting her at ease, of helping her believe in her own natural abilities that gave her a confidence she otherwise lacked. Or rather, had lacked. Ever since the Winter Musicale, she'd been able to overcome the stage fright that had once been crippling. Sure, she was still nervous singing in front of a crowd, but knowing he would be there to help her had always given her the strength to rise beyond her fears.

And now that safety net was gone.

Troy had done the unthinkable and bailed on her and his friends, choosing instead to sing the duet Kelsi had written specifically _for them _with Sharpay. That had stung like a slap to the face - hurting far more than she'd ever thought possible. It was like a betrayal of the most intimate sort - that song had illustrated perfectly the way she felt about Troy and she'd thought he'd felt it did the same in his feelings for her.

For him to be willing to sing it so readily with someone else - with _Sharpay _of all people - was like taking a knife in the back.

But, instead of confronting him on it, she let it slide. Troy wouldn't have agreed to sing with Sharpay without a good reason and Kelsi had told her that Sharpay had all but commandeered the duet from her piano stand. Kelsi, never one to be able to stand up to Sharpay under pressure, had transposed the piece reluctantly in an effort to keep her job.

Despite it all, Gabriella had secretly hoped Troy would refuse to sing the duet - she'd been sadly mistaken. Troy had, by Taylor's rendition, looked extremely uncomfortable in Sharpay's arena and reluctant to comply - it was the only thing that made stomaching his singing the song with Sharpay remotely palatable. It served him right - whatever discomfort he was feeling, he deserved.

Ryan on the other hand...

Gabriella shook her head with a slight smile. Who'd have known there was such a fun guy - a relative performance genius - hiding in Sharpay's shadow. He'd risen to the challenge beautifully, stepping into the void Troy's absence had caused and the bringing fun back into their time at Lava Springs. He'd given the Wildcats a sense of purpose once more, re-solidifying them as a team - but with a new leader.

Troy, for his part, didn't seem to notice that Ryan was stepping into his shoes almost literally.

And while Ryan wasn't Troy, his had his own brand of charisma that enabled him to lead when necessary - and now it was necessary. That Chad had been the one to acknowledge Ryan as more than Sharpay's poodle - as Ryan had called himself - had helped. If Troy's best friend, and the unofficial second in command of the Wildcats, gave Ryan the stamp of approval, the others would follow. It was a brilliant move and the show piece Kelsi had written came together beautifully.

The only problem was the duet itself; Gabriella felt _wrong_ singing it with Ryan. The song was about futures and being true to one's self - a song that would have fit Troy before Sharpay and the rest of the Evans family had dug in their hooks and hauled him away. Despite the feeling, Gabriella pushed through it and put everything she had into singing and dancing with the rest of their team - and ended up enjoying herself.

Ryan's gratitude showed a side of him that Gabriella was all too familiar with. Ryan was trying to break free from Sharpay's shadow and her unwitting championing of him at the baseball diamond had given him the opportunity to do so. Ryan, to her surprise, seemed to understand her feelings and - as such - didn't press her to practice the duet together, but agreed they'd sing it through only once before actually performing it.

The other side of that was that Ryan also knew when to step away. He gave everyone equal time to shine, allowing the rest of the crew the chance to be what Sharpay had never given him the opportunity to; stars. While she and Ryan were singing the main duet, the song was actually about unity and everyone got a chance to be center stage.

It was something Troy would have done - before he'd become too good for his friends.

Maybe that was what made her do it. She'd caught a glimpse of Troy and Sharpay watching them practice in the mirror lining the studio they'd been using - and the devil had taken her, sweeping her away into the music as they'd pranced hand in hand between the ecstatic Wildcats. Ryan and Gabriella - the minstrel with the princess... and the prince suspiciously absent. Riding high on the enthusiasm of the other Wildcats, hugging him had seemed like the most natural thing in the world as they'd completed the set.

Ryan kissing the back of her hand had been icing on the cake - and she hadn't missed Troy's expression as she'd left the practice room. She'd looked away before making eye contact, hardening her heart against the disappointment eating away at her heart. Troy hadn't even tried to join them - or make his presence known. Gabriella wasn't positive, but she thought she detected a hint of the jealousy Troy had displayed the previous morning upon finding her playing with Ryan by the pool side.

What he had to be jealous about she didn't know - it wasn't as if Ryan was her first male friend aside from Troy - but there had been a distinct air about Troy that morning. An almost accusing, uncomfortable silence as he'd realized that Ryan had spent the night with her and their friends instead of himself. Yet the accusation was what had kept her silent with Ryan's departure. She didn't owe him an explanation and she wasn't going to explain herself if he was too busy to spend time with her. He didn't own her and wasn't entitled to a breakdown as to how she spent her time.

Even as the thought crossed her mind, she felt guilty about it - Troy _had_ given her an accounting of his time; explaining he'd been caught late at the gym in pursuit of his goal. And while her trust in him was eroding with each passing day, she would have to trust that he'd figure out the price of his goal before it was too late and care enough to change his course.

Unfortunately, as Troy had walked away without making an effort to reach out to her, a sinking feeling as settled in the pit of her stomach like a lead weight. Something told her things were going to get worse between them before - if ever - they got better.

_fin_

----

Author's Note: This ended up far longer than expected – for some reason, my Gabriella Vigs do….


	2. Ending of a Fairytale: Reviews

**Reviews for: ****Ending of a Fairytale**

**Out of respect for those people who've reviewed this Vignette before, here are the reviews they left, unedited and unchanged.**

**Thank you for your comments, guys!**

hms fan  
2009-08-01 . chapter 1

loved it

ibelieveintruelove  
2008-11-04 . chapter 1

Oh poor Gabriella! I'm just so happy that I know they have a happy ending, lol. Nice job!

Magical Meerkat  
2008-09-14 . chapter 1

that was a really great insight to how gabi would feel i think

erinsgirl  
2008-09-14 . chapter 1

Fantastic. Thanks so much. Loved the way Gabriella knows the facts but doesn't jump to conclusions (Troy might have been jealous). It was great as well the way she knew she hadn't doneanthing wrong but still felt guilty. Well Done.


	3. What About Us

**Title:** What About Us?

**Author:** Jade-Max

**Summary:** After seeing the Wildcats rehearsing - and the hug Gabriella and Ryan share - Troy reflects on the fact that Gabriella seems to be slipping away from him and he doesn't know how to stop it.

----------

**What About Us?**

Watching the Wildcats cavorting around the practice room with Ryan in their midst, directing and guiding them through various steps as they looked to be having a blast was amusing - until Ryan took Gabriella's hand and danced with her down the center of the double lines they'd formed. It was like taking a blow to the chest after having been hit once. He'd felt jealousy before when he'd walked in on Ryan and Gabriella playing around by the poolside - and Ryan had put his arms about _Troy's _girl as if he had the right.

Then it had been a sharp, stabbing pain that had resulted in curt responses and an uncomfortable silence when Ryan had finally left Gabriella alone with him. He hadn't known what to say in that silence as he'd looked at her, wondering when that had happened. Talking with Gabriella had never been an issue; she'd always been the one person he could share _any_ thought with and not be worried about ridicule.

Gabriella was _his_ girl; she was his matched pair - someone to balance out his strengths and weaknesses with her own and gave him the courage to move beyond the roles that were expected of him.

Now, it was like a chasm had opened between them, slowly growing wider and wider and he hadn't a clue how to stop it. She was slipping away from him, even then, and he'd been desperate to hold on - but hadn't a clue how. It wasn't as if he was deliberately moving away from her; he'd tried to call when things had run overly long at the gym, but she hadn't answered. He'd tried to explain just how things seemed to be going his way and all she'd done was criticize - what had happened to the supportive girlfriend who'd always been there before?

Or was it Gabriella that had changed after all? She'd accused him of becoming a new Troy along with the perks that had been allocated him at Lava Springs and hadn't been nearly as excited as he was. He hadn't pegged her as the jealous type, and her tone hadn't held jealousy - but it had held a reserved note he'd not heard before. A critical, disapproving variance he'd never dreamed to hear from her.

Now, as the Wildcats completed their performance, the knife in his chest twisted just a little as they parted to reveal Gabriella clinging to Ryan in an enthusiastic hug. The blade dug in a little more deeply as Ryan set her away - only to drop a gallant kiss on the back of her hand. Her delighted smile said it all. She was _enjoying_ the attention. Which was fair, he supposed darkly; it wasn't as if Troy had been around much in the last week since his promotion, but she didn't have to look like she enjoyed it as much as she obviously did.

Avoiding Sharpay had been easy, but he hadn't really seen her when Gabriella had departed the music room, instead he had eyes only for Gabriella. It had always been that way - the second he'd met her and heard her sing, he'd been enraptured. Now was no different than before; except he now saw her for who she was, not just what she could do.

And it hurt.

It hurt because he was losing her and couldn't figure out why. Worse, it felt like he was losing her to Ryan because of his lack of attentiveness, but if he stepped in now, he'd only seem like a jealous boyfriend. And maybe he was, but the rational part of his brain told him not to be, that he had to trust her and Ryan would _never_ dare to try and take Gabriella away from him. It wasn't in his character.

Still, they were drifting together naturally, much as he and Gabriella had, and it made Troy wary. It was the kind of situation where, for the first time, he truly considered he might lose her. Not because of something he'd done, but because of something he hadn't done. Gabriella and he hadn't spent any time together since he'd been promoted - mostly because he'd been wary of costing her the job she'd wanted so much for summer.

Fulton had made it very clear that since he'd become an honorary member, having anything to do with the other Wildcats - which included Gabriella - while on shift would have dire repercussions. It left him with limited outlets when it came to venting and also meant he didn't spend time with his friends at all. He was uncomfortably aware of the fact he now hit the court alone to shoot hoops unless it was with the Redhawks. And while the College team was something else to play with, he found he missed his Wildcats.

True, College ball was another world of difficulty - except that the moves Troy had learned on his home court with his friends were the ones the College guys praised. They were also moves that Troy himself hadn't come up with on his own and while he didn't mind the recognition, he was starting to feel like he was taking credit for something that wasn't fundamentally his. Yes, those moves belonged to his team, but they weren't his to exhibit.

It was yet another block in the wall - or meter in the chasm - that was growing between he and Gabriella. It was like he was being forced to choose; go for one future and tackle it single-mindedly at the expense of his friendships - all of which were deteriorating - or give up the dream of a scholarship and keep the people who were important to him.

He wanted both and while he believed he could have both somehow, he was starting to wonder if he'd still have Gabriella at his side when school resumed.

His absence didn't seem to faze her - which was good, but didn't do a thing for his ego. She didn't seem to miss him, to even acknowledge the fact he wasn't around as much as he wanted to be. That they spent next to no time together didn't appear to be important on the grand scheme of things, instead she seemed to be intent on simply enjoying her summer.

Not that he could really blame her. This _was_ the first summer she'd been in the same place and she'd told him flat out she intended to enjoy it; he'd simply taken it for granted that she'd meant to enjoy it with him. To be fair they had enjoyed a couple of weeks together, but lately, since his promotion, he didn't know how to reach her. It made him uncomfortable and awkward around her - more so than when they'd first met on stage and it was a feeling he didn't like.

It was the helplessness that got to him most.

The knowledge that no matter what he said or did, there was little or nothing he _could_ do to breech the chasm yawning between them - and he couldn't let her go either. She was the one sane, sensible thing in his world and he needed to know she was there - even if it was from afar. Despite wanting to be with her, while it still felt right, in other ways he knew he didn't dare spend too much time around her lest he jeopardize her job - something he was unwilling to do.

Gabriella didn't deserve to lose her job because of him and he'd already gotten her two strikes due to his carelessness.

Still; he missed her. She was there every day just like the others - yet she wasn't. Before she'd have had lunch with him, spent her breaks at his side... even made a point of simply smiling at him when they weren't able to stop to talk.

Now... now was different. She still smiled, but it lacked something - a luster that had always been a fundamental part of her. There was no longer the effort to go out of her way to search for him to give him a spontaneous hug. To be fair, he hadn't done that lately either - and he was more aware than ever of the gap between them. An enforced gap caused by his status as an honorary member and hers as the club's hired help - an almost elitist gap that made him want to gag.

It wasn't what he'd signed up for.

More and more, as his future and the scholarship thing seemed to be falling into place, did he feel like it was spiraling out of control. Like being caught in a whirlwind, torn from everything that was familiar, without a clue as to where you would end up. It was a feeling he was beginning to hate and didn't know how to escape.

Gabriella, he felt, was the key to escaping it – except she wasn't caught up in the same whirlwind; she was his anchor. An anchor that was slowly eroding... and there wasn't a thing he could think of to stop it.

_fin_


	4. What About Us: Reviews

**Reviews for: ****What About Us?**

**Out of respect for those people who've reviewed this Vignette before, here are the reviews they left, unedited and unchanged.**

**Thank you for your comments, guys!**

hms fan  
2009-08-01 . chapter 1

loved it

JennCorinthos  
2008-12-23 . chapter 1

i LOVED THIS... I wanted more from that scene thank you for giving it to us...

JENNIFER

ibelieveintruelove  
2008-11-04 . chapter 1

Oh Troy. He doesnt even realize what he is doing to his friends with this scholarship and promotion thing! It was cool to see what he was thinking. Nice work!

Magical Meerkat  
2008-09-14 . chapter 1

Ahh that was so sweetly done i loved it

erinsgirl  
2008-09-11 . chapter 1

Really great. The way you portrayed Troy's emotions was fantastic. He knows hes partly to blame and acknowledges that but still is upset. His realisations are wonderfully done. Brillant. Would love to get Gabi's view point aswell.

ilyilyx3  
2008-09-10 . chapter 1

Simply put, it hit home. I loved it.

luv2watchtv  
2008-09-10 . chapter 1

Really nice one shot. I've always liked this part in the film because it shows how hurt Troy is when he sees Gabriella with Ryan - even if he has no actual reason it's still interesting

XNicolex


	5. A Stranger Wearing His Face

**Title:** A Stranger Wearing His Face

**Author:** Jade-Max

**Summary:** After leaving Troy and her job at Lava Springs, Gabriella reflects on what's happened and how things are going to change.

--------

**A Stranger Wearing His Face**

"Gabriella?"

Ignoring the summons, Gabriella shifted her position on the edge of her balcony, using the nearby tree as a backrest. The sun was coming up after the worst night of her young life - and she didn't feel like smiling.

"Gabriella?"

Her mother's voice drew nearer and finally the genius girl was forced to turn her head to answer. "Out here, mom."

"What on earth are you doing out there?"

Gabriella turned her face away before her mother could see it; she hadn't been willing to explain when her mother had picked her up from Lava Springs the night before, and she was even less inclined to this morning. She'd broken up with Troy; something she'd have sworn would be impossible six months ago. After their rocky start, they'd been inseparable and he was her best friend and confidante.

Or rather, had been.

Another tear slid down her cheek. "I couldn't sleep."

"Gabby, that's the matter?"

The compassion in her mother's tone was the last thing Gabriella wanted at that moment. "I'm fine, mom."

"You don't sound fine." The sound of her mother's footsteps came closer. "And you weren't fine when I picked you up from work last night."

"I told you; I quit my job."

"Was that all? I saw you with Troy, and-"

"Mom." Gabriella almost choked on the syllable, holding up one hand to stop whatever she'd been about to say. It took a shuddering breath and a tough swallow to move past the ache in her throat before she could continue. "Please just drop it."

Ms. Montez paused before answering, her tone full of understanding. "Alright. I'll be downstairs if you need me or if you want to talk."

Gabriella tilted her head back against the roughness of the wood as her mother departed, opening her eyes to the green canopy of the oak that overlooked the balcony outside her bedroom. She well remembered pleading with her mother for the bedroom with the view - and her mother's teasing capitulation about wanting a quick escape route.

A quick escape route. Hardly. The balcony wasn't one she'd dared climb down - but it was one that Troy had climbed to see her on more than one occasion. She'd half expected to find him waiting out there this morning with an apology - while she'd also known he wouldn't be. Troy didn't see what he was doing as wrong.

Green swam before her eyes, blurring as more tears flooded her gaze and trickled down her cheeks where - again - she made no move to stop them. She hurt; her chest hurt, her throat hurt - her heart hurt. Breaking up with Troy had been the right thing to do, but regardless of it, she felt as if she'd forcefully severed a limb. That she'd slowly been losing him to Sharpay and his dream of a perfect future during their employment didn't matter.

Eventually she'd have lost him completely, but at that point it wouldn't have been her decision. It would have been her inability to walk away from a deteriorating situation or to confront him. No. This way was better, no matter how much it hurt, and Troy needed to see that what he'd been doing was slowly alienating himself from his friends and from her.

If he cared.

The sincerity in his gaze - how tightly he'd hugged her - as he'd begged her not to go, not to leave him, had broken her heart - but she had needed to stand firm, for both herself and for him. If she'd let him continue as he had been, he'd have thought it was okay to treat people the way he'd begun with his friends and teammates. If he continued, she knew he wouldn't have any friends left when school began again and the Wildcats' chance for back to back Championships would be shot.

Still, she hadn't done what she'd done for the school. No. She'd done it for herself. Once before in their stormy relationship Troy had made a similar mistake, except this time it wasn't that she doubted what he felt for her. She was sure he still felt the same way; breaking up with him hadn't changed her feelings and nor would they change his. No, in this instance, Troy needed to find and do what was best for Troy and Gabriella was feeling like a lead weight holding him back.

It was only one of the reasons she had set him free. Either he would fly without her, as much as it hurt to consider, or he would come back to her and realize that what he wanted out of life couldn't all be maintained in the fashion he was going about it. He was getting to a point where he would have to choose to keep his friendships or leave them behind and chase a dream for his future.

Or Troy would realize there were better ways of attaining what he wanted - ways that would keep the relationships he currently valued intact.

Her hand absently reached up to her now naked collarbone and flattened over the ridge. Abstractedly she wondered how, despite it only being a matter of short weeks, she'd grown accustom to having Troy's necklace around her neck. The weight had been reassuring and now, suddenly, she felt naked without it. Not just without it, but knowing what its absence represented.

Giving the necklace back to Troy had been more symbolic on her part than anything but it had been fitting all the same. He'd broken the promise that the necklace had represented. They weren't together, he'd broken several of their dates or been abysmally late, skipped out on the activities they'd planned with their friends... the list went on and on. Sure, the Troy she'd met over New Years was still there, but he was changing as she watched into someone she didn't know - and someone she didn't particularly like.

Brushing one arm across her eyes, she slid down from the tree and set her feet back on the balcony outside her room. Her dress was wrinkled and she felt a sudden pang of conscience; she'd told her mother she couldn't sleep - except that wasn't exactly the truth. She _hadn't_ been able to sleep - except it wasn't that she had woken up early; she hadn't slept at all.

Shutting her door behind her, she closed her blinds and undid the ties to her dress, letting it slide off to pool around her feet before stepping free. The feeling of the fabric gliding over her body was almost symbolic. As it dropped, it seemed to carry the weight of her decisions with it - as if changing from the clothing where she'd felt such grief could wash it away.

No - that wasn't completely accurate.

Not wash it away - her chest was still tight, as if the rubber band around it would never let go - but had eased it. In some ways changing had remind her that all things change - especially in the summer time. Summer this year was supposed to have been about constants; about staying in one place with the same people - except no matter how much she wanted that, it had already changed.

Her best friend and boyfriend was no longer the sweet guy she'd begun dating seven months ago, and in his place there was a stranger wearing his face. She would simply have to move forward and trust that Troy would continue to do what was best for him - it simply wasn't what was best for _them_ anymore.

_fin_


	6. A Stranger Wearing His Face: Reviews

**Reviews for: ****A Stranger Wearing His Face**

**Out of respect for those people who've reviewed this Vignette before, here are the reviews they left, unedited and unchanged.**

**Thank you for your comments, guys!**

hms fan  
2009-08-01 . chapter 1

grate job :)

JennCorinthos  
2008-12-23 . chapter 1

Fantastic... I loved this... You captured Gabby beautifully...

JENNIFER

ibelieveintruelove  
2008-11-04 . chapter 1

Oh don't lose faith in Troy completely Gabriella, he's smarter than you think!! ;-) Nice job!

Magical Meerkat  
2008-09-09 . chapter 1

Ahh makes me want to cry loved it so sweet and insightful to what was going on

Princessmarie1992  
2008-09-04 . chapter 1

That was excellent! Though, I was hoping you'd also put in how Gabriella got to the country club to sing Everyday with Troy. I wonder who played the part in getting Gabriella back together with Troy...?


	7. Lost & Found

**Title:** Lost & Found

**Author:** Jade-Max

**Summary:** Troy gives Taylor the "T" Necklace to return to Gabriella.

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**Lost & Found**

"McKessi."

Taylor ignored the call, too incensed with the speaker to acknowledge him. Because of Sharpay's interest in him and what she _thought_ she was doing for his future, his friends were paying the price - and he no longer seemed to care. That was probably the worst of it. When summer had started he'd been considered a "nice guy" - someone everyone wanted to be friends with because his Superstar status didn't dictate with whom he spent his time.

In the weeks since school had gotten out, something had changed and he was no longer one of the team - but an individual looking out for that individual's best interests no matter whom he stepped on in the process. Gabriella quitting before had been something of a shock - except that Taylor understood why she'd done it.

"McKessi!" The call came a second time, drawing nearer as the sound of pounding footsteps became audible.

Continuing towards where she'd left the golf cart assigned to her, she didn't even spare him a glance as he fell into a quick step beside her - and nor did she intend to. "Bolton."

"Taylor, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Give me one good reason I should listen to _anything _you have to say." She didn't stop, forcing him to keep walking with her or be left behind. It served him right to have to keep up with someone else after the way he'd been acting.

"There isn't one."

That caught her attention - it was the last thing she expected him to say. "Pardon?"

"I said, there isn't a good reason you should listen to me."

"At least you can admit it." Taylor stopped and turned to face him for the first time. "For that I'll give you two minutes - make them count."

Troy stared at her and shuffled his feet - his _sneaker_ clad feet - as he rubbed one hand over the back of his neck. He was dressed down from what they'd seen him wearing over the week since obtaining his position as the assistant golf pro. Not only that, but since they'd seen him that morning - he was no longer dressed in the black slacks and shirt he'd come into work wearing. Instead, he wore a red Wildcats t-shirt and jeans. And he seemed at a loss for words - so she asked the obvious question.

"A little out of uniform there, aren't you Troy?"

"Maybe." He looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Maybe not. It depends on if the dress code for Kitchen duty has changed."

"Kitchen duty?"

"I'm on my way to see Fulton to get my old job back - or quit if they won't give it to me." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels self consciously. "Of course, if you guys don't want me back in the kitchen, I'll understand."

"What about the show?"

"I won't be singing in it."

"Sharpay won't like that."

"I don't care what _Sharpay_ likes or doesn't like," Troy responded with a shake of his head. "She's cost me enough; maybe it's about time she understands there's a price for everything."

"Sounds like you know what you're talking about."

Pulling his hand from his pocket, the silver chain and "T" pendant he'd given Gabriella followed his fingers out to dangle and shimmer in the sunlight. He held it up, meeting Taylor's gaze for the first time - and Taylor suddenly understood what she was hearing in Troy's voice.

Pained acceptance.

He'd come to understand what his path was costing him and was trying to make amends before it cost him more.

"I know Gabriella doesn't want to talk with me." Troy held out the necklace, waiting for Taylor to take it. "But this belongs to her."

"If she gave it back to you, I don't think she wants it anymore, Troy."

"Maybe not." His acknowledgement was bleak despite the strength of it. "But this was a gift as much as it was a promise. I know what I have to do to set this right and a part of that is ensuring that Gabriella gets this back. Will you give it to her for me?"

"That depends."

"On?"

Taylor smiled faintly. "What does it mean this time?"

Troy took Taylor's hand in his and gently placed the necklace in her palm, curling her fingers over it. "It means I belong to her - I always have and always will as long as she has it. Will you give it to her?"

"Is that all?"

Shaking his head, he found a faint smile. "Isn't that enough?"

The piercing, pained look in Troy's azure eyes was what undid her and Taylor reluctantly nodded. "I don't make any guarantees about her accepting it."

"I'm not expecting you to," his grip eased and he stepped away from her. "If nothing else, you can tell her... tell her that the T isn't for Troy anymore. It's for trust. I have to set this right and to do that you - all of you - are going to have to trust me."

"After everything you've done, Troy?"

He flinched. "Somehow I'll fix this. I have to find Fulton before this goes any further - and then I'll talk to Sharpay."

"She won't like it."

"She'll just have to deal with it." He made to move away and then stopped, glancing back over his shoulder, one hand clenched into a fist at his side. "And Taylor?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell her... tell her I'm sorry for all of this and ruining her summer, would you?"

"You can tell her yourself, superstar."

His shoulders hunched, as if rounding against a blow, before he nodded and walked away. She watched Troy's stride became purposeful, his shoulders squaring as he headed towards the main office.

Opening her fingers, she regarded the necklace Troy had dropped into her palm. There had been a wealth of emotion in his gaze when he'd handed over the necklace and no small amount of pain. He knew his actions had cost him Gabriella - likely for good - yet he was attempting to set things straight with the rest of them, to salvage the rest of the friendships before it was too late.

Turning away from the golf cart's location, Taylor headed back towards the kitchen to find Chad. Things were about to get very, very interesting.

_fin_

--

Author's Note: Look for "The Hired Help" to read about Troy's discussion with Fulton


	8. Lost & Found: Reviews

**Reviews for: ****Lost & Found**

**Out of respect for those people who've reviewed this Vignette before, here are the reviews they left, unedited and unchanged.**

**Thank you for your comments, guys!**

hms fan  
2009-08-01 . chapter 1

omg this made me cry awesome job

JennCorinthos  
2008-12-23 . chapter 1

i LOVED THIS... i love TAYLOR...

jennifer

ibelieveintruelove  
2008-11-04 . chapter 1

Aw yay for Troy! And yay for Taylor for making him work for his forgiveness. I love how she never lets the men in her life get by easily, lol. Nice job!

Magical Meerkat  
2008-09-14 . chapter 1

I've loved all ur missing moments and this on is no exception

erinsgirl  
2008-09-11 . chapter 1

Fantastic! Loved the way Troy convinced Taylor to take the necklace to give to Gabi and Taylor's responses to him. Great how she went from angry, to reluctantly helping, to sympathy to understanding. Brillant.  
Nitpick: Why did he call her McKessie at the beginning.  
Thanks for doing the request.

watilikeabobutu  
2008-09-10 . chapter 1

aw!


	9. The Hired Help

**Title:** The Hired Help

**Author:** Jade-Max

**Summary:** Troy asks Fulton for his Kitchen job back.

----------

**The Hired Help**

Troy stepped into the Lava Springs main entry way, taking a deep breath as he searched for Fulton. The General Manager of the country club was nowhere to be seen and Troy doubted the man was in the Kitchen making trouble for the Wildcats - after all, Sharpay believed she'd gotten what she wanted when Gabriella had quit.

He'd overheard the confrontation between Gabriella and Sharpay and secretly he'd been more than a little shocked at Gabriella's assertiveness. She'd always been so sweet and shy, it was a little disconcerting to see she had more of a spine than any of them had ever known. Not only that, but once she was through with Sharpay, she'd turned that newly found determination on him in a way he'd never expected her to.

Gabriella had broken up with him.

Dazed by the move, he'd gone numb and hadn't reacted well to her quitting and leaving him all at the same time. It had taken being shown that the rest of the Wildcats weren't going to be able to participate in the much anticipated show - and a lot of soul searching - to realize what he needed to do. Finding the courage to do it had been easy once he'd opened his eyes to what was going on around him and realized his friends were right.

He _had _become a jerk with new shoes.

Walking quickly through the lounge of Lava Springs, he headed for Fulton's office - and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

"Mr. Fulton?"

"Ah, Mr. Bolton!" Fulton's expression was welcoming as he lifted his gaze from his paperwork - only to frown when he saw what Troy was wearing - jeans and a red Wildcats t-shirt. "That's not acceptable atire for the course, Mr. Bolton."

"I know - and that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"You need a better wardrobe?"

Troy laughed once, shaking his head. "No, sir. Actually, I came to tell you that after doing the job as the assistant golf pro for the last week, I'm under qualified and uncomfortable with it. I'd like my kitchen job back."

Fulton blinked as if he'd been blindsided. "Excuse me?"

"I'd like to go back to work in the kitchen."

"That's what I thought I heard." Fulton stood, bracing his hands palms down on his desk as he regarded the Wildcats' Superstar curiously. "Do you know what you're throwing away, young man?"

"Respectfully, Mr. Fulton, it's what I'm losing that I'm worried about. I'm not willing to take the ride the Evans family is offering if the cost of admission is my friendships with the rest of the Wildcats. Ever since I started working here, they've been super nice to me but haven't even glanced at the rest of my team. In some ways, they've gone to great lengths to separate me from them and I don't like that. So I'd like my kitchen job back - if that's at all possible."

"You do realize that means giving up your membership rights and everything that comes with it?"

Pulling the keys to the golf cart that had been his for the last week from his pocket, Troy tossed them on the desk in front of the Manager. "I can live without the fancy shoes, the golf cart and the designer clothes, Mr. Fulton. I can't live without my friends around and, frankly, I shouldn't have to."

"You're making a mistake, Mr. Bolton."

"Maybe." Troy agreed with a shrug. "But it's my mistake to make. To be honest, sir, I think the mistake was in accepting the golf pro position when I hadn't earned it and letting myself be sucked in by all the glamour and glitter of this high flying lifestyle."

"You're adamant then? You do realize this means you can't sing in the talent show tonight with Ms. Evans, don't you?"

A grin crossed Troy's lips. "I know."

They shared a surprisingly candid look of understanding before Fulton settled back into his chair with a nod and a secretive smile. "Alright, Bolton; but I leave it up to you to inform Ms. Evans of the change in your employment status. _I_ will not take responsibility for that."

"Thank you Mr. Fulton." Troy extracted the key to the locker he'd been given as well as the membership card that had been his from his back pocket before placing them on the table with the golf cart key. "I'll let Sharpay - oh, sorry, _Ms. Evans_ - know immediately about my demotion."

"Voluntary demotion, Mr. Bolton. I won't have her blaming me for this."

"Of course not sir."

"Well, chop chop; that kitchen won't clean itself you know!"

Troy mock saluted the older man, turning on his heel as he strode from the office, feeling as if a lead weight had been lifted from his shoulders - one of several. Next task, find Sharpay and let her know about his new position - and his inability to sing with her in the talent show. It felt right to do this; Sharpay had taken a beautiful tune and turned it into something he didn't recognize - something he felt just plain _wrong_ singing with her.

His mind traveled back to Taylor and her promise to try to give the necklace back to Gabriella and a pang of regret squeezed his heart. Things were all working out for the better on most fronts, but he was bleakly aware that the bridge between he and Gabriella might have been burned for good and he had no one to blame but himself.

_fin_


	10. The Hired Help: Reviews

**Reviews for: ****The Hired Help**

**Out of respect for those people who've reviewed this Vignette before, here are the reviews they left, unedited and unchanged.**

**Thank you for your comments, guys!**

hms fan  
2009-08-01 . chapter 1

go troy fab job

ibelieveintruelove  
2008-11-04 . chapter 1

Yay Troy! I love that Fulton appreciated the fact that Troy did NOT want to sing with Sharpay, lol. Awesome job!

Magical Meerkat  
2008-09-14 . chapter 1

lol and ah sweetness loved it as with all ur missingish moments

Peace Faith  
2008-09-10 . chapter 1

I love realistic missing scenes. This one is very nice.


	11. T is for Trust

**Title:** "T" for Trust

**Author:** Jade-Max

**Summary:** Taylor tells Gabriella about Troy's sudden turn around - and returns an all important necklace.

----------

**"T" for Trust**

Gabriella was in the middle of reading the want-ads when her cell phone rang in the early the evening the Saturday after she'd quit at Lava Springs, given Troy back his necklace and broken up with him. Taylor's image appeared as she checked to see who was calling and she quickly connected the call. "Hey Taylor."

"Girl, you won't believe it!"

Sharply pulling the phone away from her ear, Gabriella stared at it in surprise for a half second before gingerly moving it back to her ear to hear her friend asking something in a concerned tone.

"-ere Gabriella?"

"I'm here; are you okay?"

"You're not going to believe it when I tell you - where are you right now?"

A sigh escaped. "I'm at home. Nobody's hiring a student this late in the summer and-"

"Okay, don't go anywhere; I'll be right over to see you."

"But-"

"Don't. Just sit tight, okay?"

Gabriella stared at her phone as the dial tone replaced Taylor's excited chatter. Something major must have happened for her to become so unhinged when just days prior everyone had been upset by their sudden ineligibility for the Talent Show. Sharpay's spite had risen to new levels and had driven Gabriella to drastic action - actions that had been slowly building through the Summer days as Troy had grown further and further from his friends and begun to act more and more like Sharpay.

It was an unsettling change and one that no one would have believed possible - until they'd started seeing it happen. Wooed by fancy clothes, high paying jobs, star athletes and the promise of an elusive and much sought after scholarship, he'd changed from the guy everyone loved, to the guy everyone loved to hate. Troy had fallen victim to ambition at the cost of his relationships.

And while a fair share of the blame surely rested on Sharpay's shoulders for initiating the change and continuing to encourage it, Troy had needed to willingly go along with it for it to occur. He'd had to make conscious choices about how and with whom he'd spent his time and those choices had led him away from the Wildcats and his lifetime friends - away from her - on a path none of them wanted to follow.

Placing the paper on the table along with the red marker that had yet to see use that day, Gabriella admitted to herself that her heart just wasn't into job hunting. After the Lava Springs fiasco, she doubted her mother would blame her - when she found the courage to explain. Not that her mother was blind. Gabriella knew she'd noted that the necklace she'd refused to remove, even to sleep, was missing all of a sudden, but she hadn't been able, in good conscience, to keep it.

A shake of her head shook off the thoughts and the sting at the back of her eyes. The Troy she'd become so attached to was changing, had changed, and she had to let him go. Moving from the living room to the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of water and, deliberately shifting her thoughts from Troy Bolton and what could or should have been, took a sip as she considered what Taylor was racing over to tell her.

Could her discussion with Sharpay have done some good after all? Could the spoiled princess have relented and allowed the Wildcats and Ryan a chance at the limelight? Despite how much she hoped it was true, she sincerely doubted that was the case. Sharpay wasn't about to share the limelight with anyone - not family or those she considered friends - and she certainly didn't share it with Troy without an ulterior motive.

If Sharpay wanted Troy, she could have him.

Gabriella's fingers tightened on the glass fractionally, her gut twisting with the image of Troy in Sharpay's arms. No matter the reason, no matter how much she tried to tell herself otherwise, the idea of Sharpay and Troy almost made her sick. The thought that he might give her that "T" necklace instead... it hurt. Not only did it hurt, it was like being blindsided by a bus.

_Breathe,_ she told herself silently, hearing a soft cracking sound as she did. Her gaze was drawn downwards to how she clutched the glass in her fingers - it sported a brand new spider web pattern where her fingers dug in. Consciously easing her grip, she carefully poured the rest of the water from the glass and tossed it in the garbage.

The doorbell drew her attention a moment later and, grateful for the reprieve, she headed in the direction of the door. Her mother was out - working - so she had the house to herself for the hour or so. Checking the peephole, she found Taylor waiting eagerly on her doorstep, practically humming with repressed energy. Throwing the locks, she opened the door to regard her best girl friend drolly. "Do you need to use my washroom?"

Taylor pushed her way in and closed the door behind her, wrapping Gabriella in a huge hug. "I don't know what you did girl, but it worked!"

Gabriella was spun around once before landing heavily back on her feet. "What I did? What are you talking about?"

Grasping both of Gabriella's hands in her own, Taylor smiled the widest smile that Gabriella had ever seen. "What did you do? Are you kidding me - it was exactly what was needed, that's what you did!"

"Taylor, you're not making any sense. I can't believe you drove here without getting into an accident!"

"I didn't - Chad drove."

"And you just left him outside?"

"He'll be fine and we won't be long. You have to come back, girl."

Already having started to feed off of Taylor's infectiously good mood, the words hit Gabriella like a cold shower and the grin that had grown on her face suddenly died. "I can't."

"No no, you _can_! Troy's back!"

"Taylor..."

"You don't get it; he's _really _back. He didn't just come in an make some crapshoot excuse for his behavior, Gabriella - he came back and did the one thing that could convince us all that he'd really turned around - he's not singing with Sharpay in the talent show!"

Her battered spirits rose with those words. "He's not?"

"No!" Taylor practically shouted the word. "He told her off and everything. Kelsey saw the whole thing - he even gave up his job as the assistant golf pro and she says he asked for his kitchen job back. He's really back."

Gabriella pulled away. "I don't know Taylor..." Walking away, she wrapped her arms about herself, unable to banish the feel of Troy's from the night she'd left. They'd been so desperate - so... _frantic_ to keep her there; as if she'd been a lifeline and he had felt her slipping away, powerless to hold on. "How do I know he just won't go back to those same tricks if I come back right away?"

Taylor's enthusiasm diminished as she regarded her friend. "It's not the same without you, Gabriella. Work isn't nearly as much fun and everyone's commented on how dismal it is without you and Troy. Troy's back; you should come back too."

"I don't think I can." Whatever Gabriella was looking at, she didn't really see it. Instead she was seeing Troy's behavior, his broken promises - the torment in his eyes when she'd told him she was leaving. "This is his lesson to learn."

"Don't you wanna be there if he's really learned it?"

"I..." Yes. She wanted to be there; yes she wanted to be with him - but she couldn't. Not yet. There was too much between them that needed to be said... "Are the employees allowed to do the show?"

Taylor's smile died a little more. "Not yet, but I'm sure Troy will think of something."

Gabriella laughed softly, once. "Troy will think of something. I don't know how you guys can just forgive him for the jerk he's been these past weeks."

"He's our friend and he made a mistake or two. If Chad can forgive him... don't you think we should be able to?"

"Has Troy actually apologized to anyone or are you just assuming he will?"

"If he's going to come back to work in the kitchen he'll have to - you don't think we'd just let him come back without one, do you?"

"Well..." Looking back over her shoulder at her friend with a half-smile, Gabriella shrugged. "Maybe. Troy's Superstar status lets him get away with a lot."

"Not this!" Taylor was adamant. "Superstar or not, Troy's acted like a real snob. Maybe if he'd realized it sooner it wouldn't have been such a big deal, but this has been weeks in the making. Whatever he's going to say is going to have to be sincere if Chad's going to forgive him."

"I don't know," Gabriella repeated the phrase, hugging herself a little tighter and trying to expel the ghostly feeling that had refused to budge since Troy had hugged her so frantically. Everything within her was screaming at her to say yes, to give him a second chance - to trust him. Except she'd already trusted him this summer - and he'd blown it big time. "I don't think I can trust him again, Taylor."

"No?" Taylor moved closer. "Even if he's really sorry and the great guy we all remember from before this nightmare started comes back? The same guy you sang with in the Winter Musicale? The same guy you met and liked before you knew he was the High School's Superstar? Gabriella, don't you-"

"I can't!" Rounding on her friend, Gabriella was unable to hide the tears shimmering in her eyes, or how badly she was shaking. "Don't you think I want to? I'd like nothing better than to go running back to him, but he... he..." she shuddered, trying to articulate what she was feeling. "Troy knew what he was doing Taylor and he did it anyway. If I come back now... will he really have learnt anything?"

"Don't punish yourself for his actions," Taylor insisted passionately. "Isn't he worth the risk? You're not happy without him, Gabriella."

"I will be - eventually."

"But why now when there's a chance you can still be with him?"

"You can't know-"

"Wrong." Taylor reached into her pocket and hesitated. "Troy asked me to return this to you. You don't have to wear it, but it was a gift and what you choose to do with it is up to you."

Gabriella's breath caught on a sob as the "T" necklace she'd returned to Troy was pulled into view. Throwing her hands up in self defense, she backed away a step. "I don't want it."

"Not even if the boy who gave it to you was able to find his way back to the path we're all walking?" Placing the necklace on the coffee table, Taylor stepped back. "Can you honestly tell me, Gabriella, that you want to walk with us without him?"

"Please don't-"

"Forget it." Shaking her head, Taylor crossed her arms over her chest. "You did what you had to do to get through to Troy and it worked! Don't you see, you trusted him to do the right thing and he's finally figured out what that is; now's the perfect time for you to come back."

"He was going to sing with Sharpay after everything else!"

"That's what this is all about, isn't it?" Shrewdly regarding the smaller girl, Taylor shook her head. "You can't stand the thought of Troy singing with someone else."

"I could handle it if it was you or Chad or even Kelsey, but... Sharpay?" Gabriella sank down into one of the chairs in the living room and cradled her head in her hands. "Why Sharpay - and the song Kelsey wrote for us?"

Taylor walked around the table and crouched in front of Gabriella, planting both hands on her shoulders. "Gabriella, Troy's _not _singing with Sharpay; he's coming back to work with us in the kitchen, not parading in front of the College boosters."

Slowly, ever so slowly, Gabriella lifted her face. "How can I trust him again, Taylor?"

Taylor's answering smile was accompanied with her reaching back to collect the necklace - and offer it. "Troy did the right thing in the end; all he had to do was figure out what that was. You helped him with that. He's not singing - or rather, he doesn't think he will be."

"What do you mean?"

"Ryan is going to try and convince him to sing with Sharpay and if he's really come back the way we think, he won't if we can't."

Rubbing her eyes, Gabriella regarded her friend shrewdly. "But?"

"We're going to change the song on Sharpay if he does - and sing 'Everyday'."

"The staff song?"

Taylor nodded. "Troy will need to learn it quick, but if he does and he's willing - you'll have your answer. Besides, aren't you the one who once told me that singing with Troy is the only way to know him as he really is?"

"I did say that, didn't I?"

Nodding again, Taylor gripped Gabriella's hands, enfolding them around the necklace. "T is for trust. Trust me; trust that the boy you've been with since New Years has found his way again - and trust that, by the end of tonight, the two of you will have settled the differences that tore you apart. Once the song is over, you and Troy can have your talk if you're not satisfied to his sincerity."

"I'll give him a piece of my mind."

"I think you already did that."

They shared a laugh.

"Maybe." Gabriella admitted. "It'll depend on how things go."

"Then you'll come?"

Nodding, Gabriella clenched the necklace in her fist. "I'll come. But if Troy doesn't sing Everyday, he'll never know I was there."

Pulling Gabriella into a tight hug, Taylor dragged her to her feet. "If he doesn't sing Everyday, I'll drive you home myself."

_fin_


	12. T is for Trust: Reviews

**Reviews for: ****T for Trust**

**Out of respect for those people who've reviewed this Vignette before, here are the reviews they left, unedited and unchanged.**

**Thank you for your comments, guys!**

hms fan  
2009-08-01 . chapter 1

awesome

JennCorinthos  
2008-12-23 . chapter 1

I loved this... I wish we would of seen something like this on the show...

JENNIFER

ibelieveintruelove  
2008-11-04 . chapter 1

Oh yay! I love that Taylor championed troy to Gabriella, even though she was very tough on Troy when he approached her. She obviously knows how to handle guys lol. And I'm so excited that she convinced Gabriella to come!! Hahaha like I didn't know that was gonna happen. Nice job!

line  
2008-09-05 . chapter 1

I like how you showed Gabriella and Taylor's friendship and gave her a reason to return as well as a plausable reason for wearing the "T" necklace in the next scene. Poor Chad getting stuck outside with nothing to do. I thought I was the only one to notice (after repeat viewings) that the Wildcats were rehearsing to "Everyday" in that other scene. Your missing scenes stories are very well done. One nitpick: Kelsey is actually spelled Kelsi.

erinsgirl  
2008-09-05 . chapter 1

That was great. Love you're missing moments series. They're fantastic. Would have liked to see Troy and Taylor's convo though. Hint, hint.

greentopak  
2008-09-05 . chapter 1

I could SO totally see this happening. Too bad that they had to cut out the Gabi/Taylor convo in the movie. THanks so much for this. Great job on all ur missing scene fics :D

anoddapple  
2008-09-04 . chapter 1

oh my god! that was amazing.  
write a oneshot for troy and gabriella's talk after the talent show? :D


	13. Everyday

**Title:** Everyday

**Author:** Jade-Max

**Summary:** Troy & Gabriella talk after the talent show.

----------

**Everyday**

As the applause continued, the Wildcats and their school mates filed off stage, jumping and hugging as they exclaimed over the award that had been given to Ryan - and by proxy the staff at the club.

Troy kept Gabriella's hand snugly in his as they left the stage, drawing her between the knots of people wanting to exclaim over the performance. She made no move to reclaim her hand, something he was silently thankful for and hadn't really expected with the way they'd last parted company.

They needed to talk - now - before anything else could happen; before anyone else could try and come between them. She needed to know just how sorry he was for his actions.

"Troy?"

"Trust me."

Stopping only once to meet Chad and Taylor's delighted gaze, he flashed them a smile before pulling Gabriella into the kitchen area. Moving swiftly, he led her through and into the deserted lounge, barring the door by lacing his jacket between the handles and tying it together. The sound of the other kitchen staff filing back in beyond the doors was muffled and indestinct enough it would give them a degree of privacy they wouldn't otherwise have.

"They can still come in the front door."

"Chad and Taylor won't let them." Troy turned from blocking the door to look at her - really look at her - since the last time he'd seen her.

Gabriella stood with her hands folded in front of her, watching him with an amused - but tolerant - smile on her lips. Backlit by the light from the party outside, she looked like the angel he secretly thought her to be; his own personal angel dressed in white. Her dark hair framed elegant features that he'd long ago memorized and would never tire to seeing.

The necklace he'd given her at the end of the school year caught and reflected the faint lights from outside, drawing his attention; but that wasn't the first issue he needed to bring up as his eyes lifted to hers. Regardless of how she regained it, the necklace was hers by rights and it gave him courage that she now wore it - and had worn it - to sing with him.

There was a hint of hesitation in her gaze as their eyes met that gave him pause, an uncertainty that hadn't been there since they'd first sang together at New Years. In the eight months they'd been together since, he'd hoped he'd banished that entirely.

It was his own fault she doubted him now.

"I owe you an apology."

"You do."

He _almost _laughed at her assertive response. Gabriella had grown a lot since he'd first met her - they both had - and this self assured young woman before him didn't doubt what she viewed to be her due. It warmed his heart to know that he had played a part in bringing her out, yet saddened him at the same time. Gabriella had first used that self assurance in dealing with Sharpay - and with him. He'd seen glimpses of her ability to do so before, but this summer had brought out those qualities like never before.

Striding closer, he didn't reach for her yet. If he touched her, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to say what he needed to. Standing before her, he struggled to find the words to the apology that was due while staring down into the brown eyes that had held him captive since January.

"Gabriella... I told Chad before the show that I've been a jerk - and I know I have been. You were right. I was saying and doing things that weren't really me and I was starting to turn into something I wasn't before we started working here." He took a deep breath. "I lost sight of what this Summer was supposed to be when I got caught up in all the 'good' things that kept happening to me and you paid the price. What I did to Chad and the others was bad enough, but what I did to you was unforgiveable. I shouldn't have expected you to put up with that kind of behavior and I'm sorry. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize what a jerk I've been to everyone; especially to you."

"Troy-"

He held up his hand to forestall whatever she had to say. "Please - let me get this out."

Gabriella fell silent, waiting expectantly.

"You know the kind of pressure my dad's been putting on me about college and working on that scholarship became so all consuming, that - not only did I get so focused on the things I thought were important - I lost sight of what really was. What good would it do me to get into a school on a scholarship if I lost all my friends in the process? When you walked away from me..." he swallowed, forging past the lump in his throat, "you forced me to reexamine what I was doing and why. It took you leaving for me to realize that I was trying to impress people by being someone I wasn't at the expense of the friends who mean more to me than anything."

His fingers flexed with the need to touch her, but he didn't yet dare. "Losing you... I never want to go through that again. I don't expect you to forgive me, Gabriella, not right away, and I know I'll have to work to regain your trust... but I'm miserable without you somewhere in my life. I know Kelsey wrote Everyday - it has her trademark feel - but I meant every word it said."

"Likewise."

"I know I - what?" He blinked, startled by her soft agreement.

"I meant it too, Troy." Gabriella's smile was unhindered and a faint teasing slant appeared as he watched. "You didn't sound like you meant it at first though."

"I thought I had to sing it with Sharpay."

She laughed softly at the pained tone in his voice. "That explains everything." Reaching for him, she clasped his hand tightly and interlinked their fingers together, stepping into his body as she tilted her head to look at him. Softly, she sang the lines that meant the most to her from the show. "Everyday, of our lives. Wanna find you there; wanna hold on tight."

"Everyday." Troy lifted his free hand to cup her face. "You _are_ the music in me, Gabriella; Kelsey had it right. Without you, I don't feel like me - it just took me longer than it should have to find the melody again."

Her smile was worth everything he'd endured. "The melody never left."

"No, but I lost it there for a minute." He brushed his thumb over her cheek. "And I didn't know if I'd ever find it again."

"All you had to do was ask."

"I don't deserve you."

"Probably not." Her tease was gentle. "But this works both ways, Troy. For a minute there, I'd lost you too."

"That didn't stop you from walking away."

"I didn't walk away - you did." Gabriella searched his gaze. "You took a path we couldn't walk together; you just couldn't see it."

"I'm glad I didn't stay on it."

"Me too... Taylor told me what happened between you and Sharpay."

"Is that when you got this back?" Troy's fingers traced lightly over the "T" of the necklace he'd given her on the first day of vacation; and she'd given back to him when she'd quit working at the country club - and broken up with him. He'd buried it in his locker, unable to deal with the reminders it brought and the emptiness it only seemed to emphasize.

Nodding, she covered his fingers with hers and enfolded them over the "T" within her own. "You made me a promise when you gave this to me; I intend to hold you to it."

"I hope you do." They shared a smile and Troy ran his thumb over the backs of her fingers. "I'm sorry, Gabriella; I never meant to ruin your summer like this."

"It's salvageable." Her lips tilted into a grin. "I forgive you, Troy; just... don't make a habit of this, okay?"

Easing the necklace from his hand he placed it back on her collar bone and gently traced his fingers over the chain towards her neck. Their eyes locked once more and he hid nothing from her, his expression solemn.

"I broke that promise without meaning to and it took you giving me a swift kick in the pants to see it. This is a promise I won't break; never again. Never again will you doubt who I am or what you mean to me, Gabriella."

Her answering smile was all he'd hoped for as she drew him into a tight hug and clung. He returned her embrace, the _rightness _of it sweeping through him once more. This was where Gabriella belonged - in his arms - and this time he wouldn't let her go.

Never again.

_fin_


	14. Everyday: Reviews

**Reviews for: ****Everyday**

**Out of respect for those people who've reviewed this Vignette before, here are the reviews they left, unedited and unchanged.**

**Thank you for your comments, guys!**

hms fan  
2009-07-31 . chapter 1

that was so beautiful grate job

2009-07-22 . chapter 1

:)

bangelluvforever  
2009-02-27 . chapter 1

loved it so cute! *tear*

JennCorinthos  
2008-12-23 . chapter 1

Awe! i LOVED THIS... Wish we could of seen it though... GREAT!

JENNIFER

ibelieveintruelove  
2008-11-04 . chapter 1

Aw! That is so sweet! I love Troyella goodness :D Nice job!

xxTwilightHSMxx  
2008-08-28 . chapter 1

Aww, so sweet, cute, adorable...just awesome!

ChocolatexChicaxCasey95  
2008-08-28 . chapter 1

AWW! that was so cute! I think this peice should have been in the movie!

2008-08-28 . chapter 1

this was such a cute story! loved it, really good job! =)

ArchAngel14  
2008-08-27 . chapter 1

Great job. i did wish thy put this part in the movie. lol

Magical Meerkat  
2008-08-27 . chapter 1

That was so brilliant, I think it was really in characters. loved it

onlyemmett.  
2008-08-27 . chapter 1

yay :) i love this one the most, i think :P  
because i hated how Gabriella just forgave Troy in the movie without him apologizing -.- it makes Gabriella seem dependant and naive i think :-/  
this oneshot should have totally happened after "Everyday" in the movie :)  
absolutely amazing! i love your resolution and conclusion to the conflict =)  
let's hope that if Troy stuffs up in HSM3 (again-.-^^) he apologizes for real (without singing maybe :P )

zvforever  
2008-08-27 . chapter 1

that was adorable! loved it! really really great "deleted scene" lol


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